Now, patients testing -ve once to be discharged

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12

Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said the state wouldn’t follow the revised discharge policy as recommended by the Centre under which very mild, mild and moderate Covid cases can be released without RT-PCR tests for negative confirmation but would follow one-negative test norm.

The minister clarified that the decision was taken after talking to experts. Vij further said the rapid kits failed verification tests.

On May 9, the Centre had recommended that “mild, very mild and pre-symptomatic cases admitted to a care facility will undergo regular temperature and pulse oximetry monitoring and the patient can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for three days”. Also, there will be no need for testing prior to discharge, but at the time of discharge, the patient will be advised seven-day home isolation.

If prior to discharge, patient’s oxygen saturation dips below 95 per cent, he will be moved to a dedicated Covid health centre. The Centre had added, “Only severe patients, including immune compromised HIV, transplant and malignancy patients, will need to test negative once by RT-PCR before discharge.”

South Korean rapid test kits put on hold

The use of rapid testing kits, bought from a South Korean firm, has been put on hold. “Before their use, we had put them for verification on Covid-positive cases. But the results didn’t confirm,” Vij said.

The state had earlier bought 25,000 rapid testing kits from a firm based in Gurugram. They were to be used for those coming to Haryana from outside and in containment zones.

On April 27, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had put on hold the use of rapid testing kits as they failed quality checks. But Haryana claimed that the ICMR directions were related to the Chinese kits whereas they would be using South Korean kits.

The rapid test uses blood instead of nasal or throat swabs, like in the RT-PCR tests, and checks for Covid antibodies. It takes around 30 minutes while the swab test takes eight to nine hours.

The WHO also didn’t recommend antibody tests as it says they are produced over days to weeks after infection with the virus. “The strength of antibody response depends on several factors, including age, nutritional status, severity of disease and certain medications or infections like HIV that suppress the immune system. In some people with Covid, disease confirmed by molecular testing (e.g. reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction: RT-PCR), weak, late or absent antibody responses have been reported,” it adds.

Gurugram lab reports wrong, confirms PGIMS

Vij on Tuesday also confirmed that Gurugram-based SRL Diagnostics produced wrong testing results. As per him, the final confirmation had come from the PGIMS, Rohtak.

“I am studying the MoU with SRL and strictest action will be taken against them,” Vij said. About 11 tests of Ambala and Gurugram, conducted by SRL Diagnostics, were in dispute. Vij said the ICMR would be informed about the development.